Railway signaling apparatus.



No. 821,754. PATENTEDMAY 29, 1906.

W. SKBLTON & H. DB 3. GHUDLEIGH. RAILWAY $IGNALING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.27,1906.

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No. 821,754. PATENTED MAY 29,- 1906. W. SKELTON & H. DE J. OHUDLEIGH.

RAILWAY SIGNALING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.27, 1906.

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I INVENTORS.

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"UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM SKELTON, OF SURBITON, AND HENRY DE JERSEY CHUDLEIGH,

- OF ACTON, ENGLAND.

RAILWAY SIGN ALING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 1906.

Application filed January 27, 1906. Serial'll'o. 298,293.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM SKELToN,

residing at Elm Dean, Victoria Road, Surbiton, in the county of Surrey, and HENRY;

DE JERSEY CH DLEIGH, residing at 86 Mill Hill road, Acton, in the county of Middlesex, England, subjects of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railway Signaling Apparatus, of which the following is a specidition by a signalman who may be at some distance.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a signaling apparatus constructed according to our invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation, Fig. 2 a vertical section, and Fig. 3 a plan, of the apparatus. Figs. 4 and 5 are views of certain parts hereinafter more particularly referred to.

In carrying out our invention we may arrange against or alon side the inner face of one of the rails A, an usually in the immediate neighborhood of the distant-signal, either a bar capable of vertical or approximately vertical movement or a tongue-piece capable of vibratory movement in a horizontal direction, same being mounted in such a manner as to be capable of vertical or horizontal movement, as the case may be, upon the flange of the leading wheel of the locomotive arriving over it or. against it; but

we prefer to employ a treadle a, such as is commonly employed in railway signaling apparatus. This treadle usually consists of a frame supported upon its longitudinal axis about which it vibrates when one side is depressed by the flange of the wheel. In either case, whether the movement be of a vertical, a horizontal, or of a vibratory character, it is communicated to an apparatus, preferably of a rotary character, comprising a series of pivoted arms B, furnished at their outer extremities with detonators b, and operated by means of a pawl-c in conjunction with a circular ratchet C, the rotary detonator-carrier being thereby gradually rotated as successive movements of the bar,

tongue-piece, or treadle take place. Each such movement causes one of the pivoted arms of the detonator-carrier B to present its detonator 1) upon the head of the rail A, Where it is exposed to the impact of the passing locomotive. I

In'the construction illustrated the detonator-carriers Bare pivotally mounted upon a circular plate C, the periphery of which is formed with teeth 0, whereby the arms are rotated about a vertical spindle c Surrounding the circular rack, but unattached thereto, is a ring 1), upon which the lower extremity of each carrier B is supported in its passage round the spindle 0 until it arrives opposite where the detonator b is to be placed upon the rail A. At this point an opening b is provided in the ring I) to permit the upper extremity of the carrier B to fall forward and present, its detonator. The pawl c for'rotating the rack C is pivotally mounted upon a slipper 0 connected, by means of levers c c, to a shaft 0 which is rotated by a rod c connected to the treadle a. Engaging with the pawl c is a catch d, mounted upon a slipper d, to which is connected the one arm of abell-crank lever (1 while the other arm is attached to a wire rope d leadin from the signal-box or other distant point "om which the apparatus is to be controlled. By means of the wire rope the apparatus may be rendered operative or inoperative by placing the catch cl in engagement with or disengaging it from the pawl c.

As the locomotive passes over the treadle a the latter will be vibrated in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 1 and its movement transmitted to the circular rack C by means of the connecting-rod c, which operates the pawl c, the effect being that the rack is partially rotated and one of the detonator-car- 'riersB brought opposite the rail at the point desired and the detonator presented over the rail. This action only occurs, however, when the signalman or other person having the control of the apparatus from a distance places the apparatus in operative condition. At other times the bar or treadle arranged in the track of the wheel-flange is held down, so

as to remain unafiected by the passage of the piece being employed, its trailing end is held housed under the rail-head, so as to be unaffected by the passage of the wheel-flange.

While one of the detonator-carriers is being moved into position for presenting its detonator the carrier immediately preceding it, the detonator of which has been exploded, is raised to its normal position by a cam b rigidly mounted upon the spindle c and against which the lower extremity of the pivoted carrier B bears when released from the ring 7). While the carrier B is being raised the plate 19*, supporting the detonator b,may be ejected from its carrier by an ejector E, mounted upon a plate 6 and adapted to engage a projection 1), formed upon the plate 6*. To retain the ratchet C in position after the carrier has presented its detonator,

a cam is mounted on the shaft '0 and engages a weighted lever f, one extremity of which is formed to engage the teeth of the' ratchet, or instead of the weighted lever a lever may be arranged to project on the opposite side of the shaft 0 and a. spring in compression applied beneath its opposite ex-- tremity. As the shaft 0 is rotated to reciprocate the pawl c the cam F disengages the lever from the ratchet while the latter is being rota-ted and engages therewith after the rotative movement is completed.

The apparatus may be arranged to become inoperative when the distant or other signal withwhich it may be used is at Fsafety and automatically to assume an operative conditionupon the said signal being placed at danger by connecting the rope d to the distant or other signal. It will, however, be perceived that the employment of the apparatus is not restricted for use with ordinary visual signals, but may be applied wherever it is desired to give an audible signal of the detonator class, the apparatus being ren dered' active or inactive at the option of the signalman or other person at a dlstance.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The improved railway signaling apparatus for. use with detonating signals and comprising a series of radially-arranged and pivotally-morinted arms erected upon a rotatable carrier, an intermittent rotative movement being imparted to the said carrier by means of a bar, placed in the path of the locomotive whee'l-flange, with the eifect that detonators with which the outer extremities of the pivotally-mounted arms are respectively charged are successively placed in operative position upon the rail substantially as herein described. V p

2. In a railway signaling apparatus for use with detonating signals, a series of radiallyarranged and pivotally-mounted arms charged with detonators and erectedupon a rotatable carrier formed as a ratchet, a bar, mounted in the path of the locomotive wheelflange serving by means of suitable connections to operate a pawl which engages with the teeth of the said ratchet, and to actuate the carrier by a gradual rotative movement, substantially as herein described.

3. In a fog signaling apparatus of the kind herein referred to, the herein described means for bringing the detonator-charged arms into and out of operative position, same comprising a ring or a circular plate adapted to support each arm duringits rotative movement and formed with a cam-surface whereby the arm is first moved into the operative position for placing the detonatorupon the rail and subsequentlyraised to its original position, substantially as herein described.

4. In a fog signaling apparatus, the hereindescribed means for rendering the apparatus operative or inoperative, according to whether the signal is at danger or at safety; same comprising a pivotally-mounted pawl,

and a block operated from the signal-wire and arranged in such a manner that, when the signal is at danger, the said block arrives against the ,pawl, prevents it turning about its pivot, and thereby renders it operative for the purpose of rotating the carrier whereon the detonator-charged arms are mounted.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM SKELTON. HENRY DE JERSEY CHUDLEIGH. 

